The Cabinet Mission Plan | History Optional for UPSC (Notes) PDF Download

Introduction

• The Congress wanted power to be transferred to one central authority, with minority demands addressed within a framework that could include autonomy, separate Muslim provinces, or the option to secede from the Indian Union, but only after the British had left.
• The British aimed for a united India that would be friendly towards Britain and actively involved in Commonwealth defense.
• They believed that a divided India would weaken defense efforts, complicate joint defense plans, and harm Britain's diplomatic standing.
• Britain did not see Pakistan as a natural future ally.
• British policy in 1946 clearly showed a preference for a united India, contrasting sharply with earlier positions.
• Prime Minister Attlee's statement on March 15, 1946, that a minority should not veto the majority's progress, marked a significant shift from earlier approaches, such as Wavell's allowing Jinnah to disrupt the Simla Conference in 1945.

1946 Cabinet Mission to India

• Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Secretary of State for India
• Sir Stafford Cripps, President of the Board of Trade
• A. V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty
• The Mission aimed to discuss and plan for the transfer of power from the British Government to Indian leaders, paving the way for India's independence.
• Accompanying the announcement, Prime Minister Clement Attlee emphasized the importance of minority rights, stating that while minorities should be free from fear, they could not veto the progress of the majority.
• The Cabinet Mission arrived in India in March 1946, with Lord Wavell, the Viceroy of India, not participating in the discussions.

Purpose and proposals

The Mission's Purpose:

• Engage in preparatory discussions with elected representatives from British India and the Indian states to establish a consensus on how to frame the constitution.
• Establish a constitutional body.
• Create an Executive Council with the backing of major Indian political parties.

Discussions with Political Parties:

• The Mission held discussions with the Indian National Congress and the All-India Muslim League, the two largest political parties in the Constituent Assembly of India.
• These parties aimed to decide on:
  • A power-sharing arrangement between Hindus and Muslims to avoid communal conflicts.
  • Whether British India would be better off unified or divided.
• Congress Party's Position: The Congress party aimed for a strong central government with greater powers than the state governments.

All India Muslim League's Position:

• Led by Jinnah, the Muslim League was open to a united India but sought political safeguards for Muslims, such as guarantees of legislative parity.
• This position stemmed from the widespread Muslim concern that the British Raj would be replaced by a 'Hindu Raj' after British withdrawal.
• The Muslim League saw itself as the sole representative of Indian Muslims and felt it necessary to address these issues with the British Crown.
• Proposed Plan: After initial discussions, the Mission put forth its plan for the composition of the new government on 16 May 1946. This announcement followed the Simla Conference of 1945.

Cabinet Mission Plan of 16 May 1946:

• The Cabinet Mission rejected the idea of a sovereign Pakistan with six provinces, considering it impractical. Instead, it proposed a three-tier federal structure for a united Dominion of India, including both provinces and princely states.
• The proposed Union of India would handle Foreign Affairs, Defense, and communications, with the power to raise necessary funds. It would have an Executive and Legislature composed of representatives from both British India and the princely states.
• To address major communal issues, decisions in the Legislature would require a majority from both major communities and a majority of all members present and voting.
• The provinces would enjoy full autonomy over all subjects except those designated as Union subjects, with all residuary powers vested in the provinces.
• Provinces could form groups with shared executives and Legislatures, determining common provincial subjects. The six Hindu-majority provinces (Madras, Bombay, C.P., U.P., Bihar, and Orissa) would form Group A. The Muslim-majority provinces in the northwest (the Punjab, N.W.F.P., Sind) would form Group B, with Bengal and Assam as Group C.
• After the first general elections, a province could leave a group, and after ten years, a province could request a reconsideration of the group or union constitution.
• The full autonomy of provinces and the grouping provision aimed to provide the Muslim League with the "substance of Pakistan," ensuring Muslim control over Groups B and C.
• The Cabinet Mission Plan was unclear on whether grouping was mandatory or optional.
• The Muslim League viewed mandatory grouping as central to the proposals, while the Congress believed grouping was optional.
• Ultimately, the British Government sided with the League on this issue.
• The consensus between Congress and the Muslim League broke down over the grouping of provinces.
• The Muslim League rejected any changes to the plan, as the balance or parity concept was crucial to its demands for political safeguards to protect Muslim interests.

Proposals for Constitution-making Machinery:

• Constitution-making Assembly: The plan included the establishment of a Constitution-making Assembly.
• Representation: Provinces would send representatives based on population, roughly one for every one million people.
• Seat Allocation:Seats for each province were divided into three sections:
  • General
  • Muslim
  • Sikh
• Constituent Assembly:Elected by provincial assemblies to draft a constitution for the whole of India, initially meeting at the Union level before splitting into three sections.
• Sections of the Assembly:
  • Section A:Hindu-majority regions.
  • Section B:North-western Muslim-majority region.
  • Section C:North-eastern Muslim-majority region (Bengal and Assam).
• Provincial Constitutions: Each section would settle provincial constitutions and decide on group constitutions.
• Opt-out and Reconsideration: Provinces could opt-out of specific groups but not from the Union and could reconsider the constitution after ten years.
• Reconsideration Provision: The Union and group constitutions would allow provinces to call for reconsideration by a majority vote after ten years and at ten-year intervals.
• Princely States: Would have adequate representation in the Central Constituent Assembly through negotiations.
• Interim Government: An Interim Government would manage day-to-day administrative matters until the final goal of independence, either within or outside the British Commonwealth, was achieved as per the free will of the Indians.

The Cabinet Mission rejected the demand for Pakistan on several grounds

• Cabinet Mission's Argument: The Cabinet Mission believed that creating a separate sovreign state of Pakistan would not resolve the communal issue. They pointed out that the non-Muslim population percentages in the proposed regions of Pakistan would be significant, with 37.93% in the north-west zone and 48.31% in the north-eastern zone.
• Inclusion Justification: The Mission questioned the justification for including the predominantly non-Muslim districts of Bengal, Assam, and Punjab in Pakistan. They argued that the reasons supporting Pakistan could equally apply to excluding non-Muslim areas from it.
• Smaller Pakistan Consideration: The Mission explored the possibility of a smaller Pakistan through the division of Punjab and Bengal. However, this idea was rejected as it would not align with the wishes and interests of a large portion of the inhabitants, particularly dividing the Sikh community in the West.
• Administrative and Economic Concerns: Objections to the division were strengthened by administrative, economic, and military considerations. For instance, the communication system was organized on an all-India basis, and its disruption would adversely affect both parts of the country. The division of the armed forces posed even greater challenges.
• Princely States Issue: The Princely States would face difficulties in deciding which Union to join or whether to seek independence. Additionally, the geographical separation of the proposed Pakistan State by about 700 miles complicated matters, as communication between the two halves would rely on the goodwill of Hindustan.
• Alternative Plan Proposal: Faced with a deadlock, the British put forward a second plan on June 16, 1946. This plan aimed to divide India into a Hindu-majority India and a Muslim-majority India, which would later become Pakistan. This proposal came after Congress had strongly rejected the idea of parity at the Centre. A list of princely states was also created, outlining which states could accede to either dominion or choose independence.

Reactions and Acceptance

Muslim League's Acceptance: On June 6, 1946, the Muslim League accepted the Cabinet Mission proposal, believing it would lead to the foundation of a sovereign Pakistan.

Contradictory Interpretations:

• Ayesha Jalal: Argued that the Mission plan aligned with Jinnah's vision for Pakistan, suggesting he preferred not to partition and that the League's emphasis on Pakistan was merely a face-saving measure.
• Asim Roy: Proposed that Jinnah was open to accepting a solution that was less than full Pakistan.
• R.J. Moore: Believed the League's acceptance was a strategic move to advantage without compromising principles.

Congress's Reservations: Congress had reservations about the Cabinet Mission Plan:

• On May 24, 1946, Congress's Working Committee expressed uncertainty about the Provisional Government and Constituent Assembly establishment due to a lack of a complete picture.
• Congress prioritized Indian independence, which the Mission suggested would follow only after a constitution was drafted.
• Concerns arose about Assam and North-West Frontier Province being grouped with Muslim majority provinces, as Congress had majorities there.
• Congress was also anxious about Sikh majority areas in Punjab.
• It sought more central government powers to intervene in crises or severe law and order breakdowns.
• In June 1946, Congress accepted the idea of Muslim majority provinces forming separate Constituent Assemblies but opposed compulsory grouping.
• Conditional Approval: Initially, Congress conditionally approved the Cabinet Mission Plan in June and July 1946, but Jawaharlal Nehru later clarified that Congress agreed only to participate in the Constituent Assembly, reserving the right to modify the plan.

Question of Grouping:

• The Congress party wanted provinces to have the option not to join a group from the beginning, rather than waiting for the first elections to leave a group.
• This was influenced by the Congress-ruled provinces of Assam and North-West Frontier Province (NWFP), which were placed in Sections C and B, respectively.
• The League argued that provinces should be able to challenge the union constitution immediately, without waiting ten years.

Mission Plan Ambiguity:

• The Mission Plan was unclear about whether grouping was mandatory or optional.
• It stated that grouping was optional but sections were compulsory, creating a contradiction.
• Instead of resolving this contradiction, the Mission tried to reconcile the conflicting ideas.

Interpretations of the Mission Plan:

• Both the Congress and the League interpreted the Mission Plan in a way that supported their positions.
• Patel believed the Plan was against Pakistan and favored one Constituent Assembly.
• Jinnah and the League accepted the Plan on June 6, seeing compulsory grouping as a basis for Pakistan.

Nehru's Speech and Its Impact:

• On July 7, 1946,Nehru emphasized the Congress Working Committee's view of the Mission Plan, stating the Constituent Assembly would decide its own rules.
• This led Jinnah to withdraw the League's acceptance of the Plan on July 29, 1946.

Formation of the Interim Government:

• On June 15, 1946, the Viceroy invited 14 individuals to join the interim government.
• These included five from Congress, five from the Muslim League, and representatives from various communities such as Sikhs, Parsis, scheduled castes, and Christians.

Constitutional Assembly Dispute:

• The plan to form an interim government faced challenges, particularly regarding parity.
• Congress wanted to include Zakir Hussain, a Muslim candidate, among its nominees.
• Jinnah objected to this and announced on July 29, 1946, that the Muslim League would not participate in forming the Constituent Assembly.

Withdrawal of Muslim League Support:

• The Muslim League Working Committee retracted its earlier approval of the Mission's long-term plan.
• The League then called for "direct action."

Formation of Interim Government:

• The dilemma before the Government was whether to go ahead and form the Interim Government with the Congress or await League agreement to the plan.
• Wavell, who had opted for the second course at the Simla Conference a year earlier, preferred to do the same again.
• The Secretary of State argued that it was vital to get Congress cooperation.
• On 12 August 1946, the Viceroy announced that he was inviting Nehru to form the provisional government.
• After consulting with Nehru, the names of 12 membersof the interim government were announced:
  • Sardar Patel
  • Rajendra Prasad
  • Asaf Ali
  • C. Rajagopalachari
  • Sarat Chandra Bose
  • John Mathai
  • Sardar Baldev Singh
  • Sir Shafaat Ahmed Khan
  • Jagjivan Ram
  • Syed Ali Zaheer
  • C. H. Bhabha
• The list contained 5 Hindus, 3 Muslims, and one each from the scheduled caste, Christian, Sikh, and Parsi communities.
• The Congress replaced the Muslim League candidates with its own party members.
• Interim Government was formed on 2nd September 1946 with Congress members alone.
• Thus Congress leaders entered the Viceroy’s Executive Council or the Interim Government of India.
• Jawaharlal Nehru became the head, vice president in title, but possessing the executive authority.
• Vallabhbhai Patel became the Home member.
• The British in 1946, in keeping with their strategic interests in the post-independence Indian subcontinent, took up a stance different from their earlier posture of encouraging communal forces and denying the legitimacy of nationalism and the representative nature of the Congress.
• Continuance of rule had demanded one stance, withdrawal and post-imperial links dictated a contrary posture.
• Congress-led governments were formed in most provinces – including in the NWFP, in Punjab (a coalition with the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Unionist Muslim League).
• The League led governments in Bengal and Sind.
• The Constituent Assembly was instructed to begin work to write a new constitution for India.

Coalition and Breakdown (1946-1947)

Formation of the Interim Government:

• Despite their differences, the British brought the Muslim League into the Interim Government on October 26, 1946, under Liaquat Ali Khan.
• The League's participation was seen as necessary to prevent civil war, even though they had not accepted the Cabinet Mission Plan.

Disruption and Conflict:

• The League and Congress operated in a dysfunctional manner, with ministers from both sides vetoing each other's proposals.
• Liaquat Ali Khan was the only competent League minister, while others were seen as less capable.

Jinnah's Strategy:

• Jinnah aimed to secure a foothold in the government to advocate for Pakistan, viewing the Interim Government as a continuation of the civil war.
• The League's tactics were meant to disrupt Congress's efforts and assert their demands.

Constitutional Assembly Dispute:

• The League's demand for the dissolution of the Constituent Assembly, which first met on December 9, 1946, became a major point of contention.
• The League had previously refused to join the Assembly, despite British assurances regarding their interpretation of grouping.

Mountbatten's Arrival and Partition Proposal:

• With the arrival of the new Viceroy, Lord Mountbatten, in early 1947, Congress leaders deemed the coalition unworkable.
• This assessment eventually led to the proposal and acceptance of the partition of India.